Amended IN Senate August 31, 2021 Amended IN Senate July 14, 2021 Amended IN Senate June 22, 2021 Amended IN Senate June 21, 2021 Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2021 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 826Introduced by Assembly Member IrwinFebruary 16, 2021 An act to amend add Section 31461 31461.7 of the Government Code, relating to public county employees retirement.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 826, as amended, Irwin. County Employees Retirement Law of 1937: compensation and compensation earnable.The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions for the purpose of providing pension, disability, and other benefits to county and district employees. CERL defines compensation earnable for purposes of its provisions, with particular application to the calculation of final compensation and the determination of pension amounts and other benefits. Existing law, the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013, prescribes various limitations on public employees, employers, and retirement systems concerning, among other things, the types of remuneration that may be included in compensation that is applied to pensions. This bill would prescribe, for CERL, a definition of compensation earnable that would include any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if specified requirements are met. bill, which would apply only in Ventura County, would provide that compensation and compensation earnable include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan, as specified, if certain requirements are met. Among these conditions, the bill would require that the retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, that the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance, and that an employer and an employee continues to pay those contributions as employee earns this allowance. The bill would apply these provisions to eligible members who have retired prior to the effective date of the measure and would state that these provisions are declarative of existing law.This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Ventura.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill TextThe people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 31461.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met: (A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date. (D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance. (2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents. (c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481. (e) This section is declarative of existing law.SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances confronting county employees who are members of the retirement system in the County of Ventura.SECTION 1.Section 31461 of the Government Code is amended to read:31461.(a)Compensation earnable by a member means the average compensation, as determined by the board, for the period under consideration upon the basis of the average number of days ordinarily worked by persons in the same grade or class of positions during the period, and at the same rate of pay. The computation for any absence shall be based on the compensation of the position held by the member at the beginning of the absence. Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, that has been deferred shall be deemed compensation earnable when earned, rather than when paid.(b)Except as provided in subdivision (c), compensation earnable does not include, in any case, the following:(1)Any compensation determined by the board to have been paid to enhance a members retirement benefit under that system. That compensation may include:(A)Compensation that had previously been provided in kind to the member by the employer or paid directly by the employer to a third party other than the retirement system for the benefit of the member, and which was converted to and received by the member in the form of a cash payment in the final average salary period.(B)Any one-time or ad hoc payment made to a member, but not to all similarly situated members in the members grade or class.(C)Any payment that is made solely due to the termination of the members employment, but is received by the member while employed, except those payments that do not exceed what is earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period regardless of when reported or paid.(2)Payments for unused vacation, annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off, however denominated, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise, in an amount that exceeds that which may be earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period, regardless of when reported or paid.(3)Payments for additional services rendered outside of normal working hours, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise.(4)Payments made at the termination of employment, except those payments that do not exceed what is earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period, regardless of when reported or paid.(c)(1)Notwithstanding subdivision (b) and Section 31460, compensation earnable means any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if all of the following requirements are met:(A)The remuneration is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B)The remuneration is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b).(C)The remuneration is paid on or after January 1, 2013, the remuneration is included in compensation earnable, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the remuneration.(D)On the date that the act adding this subdivision becomes operative, the board of retirement has not completed a formal action to reverse a prior determination that a form of remuneration, to which this subdivision would otherwise apply, is compensation earnable. (2)This subdivision is declarative of existing law.(d)The terms of subdivision (b) are intended to be consistent with and not in conflict with the holdings in Salus v. San Diego County Employees Retirement Association (2004) 117 Cal.App.4th 734 and In re Retirement Cases (2003) 110 Cal.App.4th 426.
Amended IN Senate August 31, 2021 Amended IN Senate July 14, 2021 Amended IN Senate June 22, 2021 Amended IN Senate June 21, 2021 Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2021 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 826Introduced by Assembly Member IrwinFebruary 16, 2021 An act to amend add Section 31461 31461.7 of the Government Code, relating to public county employees retirement.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTAB 826, as amended, Irwin. County Employees Retirement Law of 1937: compensation and compensation earnable.The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions for the purpose of providing pension, disability, and other benefits to county and district employees. CERL defines compensation earnable for purposes of its provisions, with particular application to the calculation of final compensation and the determination of pension amounts and other benefits. Existing law, the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013, prescribes various limitations on public employees, employers, and retirement systems concerning, among other things, the types of remuneration that may be included in compensation that is applied to pensions. This bill would prescribe, for CERL, a definition of compensation earnable that would include any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if specified requirements are met. bill, which would apply only in Ventura County, would provide that compensation and compensation earnable include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan, as specified, if certain requirements are met. Among these conditions, the bill would require that the retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, that the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance, and that an employer and an employee continues to pay those contributions as employee earns this allowance. The bill would apply these provisions to eligible members who have retired prior to the effective date of the measure and would state that these provisions are declarative of existing law.This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Ventura.Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO
Amended IN Senate August 31, 2021 Amended IN Senate July 14, 2021 Amended IN Senate June 22, 2021 Amended IN Senate June 21, 2021 Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2021
Amended IN Senate August 31, 2021
Amended IN Senate July 14, 2021
Amended IN Senate June 22, 2021
Amended IN Senate June 21, 2021
Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2021
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 826
Introduced by Assembly Member IrwinFebruary 16, 2021
Introduced by Assembly Member Irwin
February 16, 2021
An act to amend add Section 31461 31461.7 of the Government Code, relating to public county employees retirement.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 826, as amended, Irwin. County Employees Retirement Law of 1937: compensation and compensation earnable.
The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions for the purpose of providing pension, disability, and other benefits to county and district employees. CERL defines compensation earnable for purposes of its provisions, with particular application to the calculation of final compensation and the determination of pension amounts and other benefits. Existing law, the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013, prescribes various limitations on public employees, employers, and retirement systems concerning, among other things, the types of remuneration that may be included in compensation that is applied to pensions. This bill would prescribe, for CERL, a definition of compensation earnable that would include any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if specified requirements are met. bill, which would apply only in Ventura County, would provide that compensation and compensation earnable include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan, as specified, if certain requirements are met. Among these conditions, the bill would require that the retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, that the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance, and that an employer and an employee continues to pay those contributions as employee earns this allowance. The bill would apply these provisions to eligible members who have retired prior to the effective date of the measure and would state that these provisions are declarative of existing law.This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Ventura.
The County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL) authorizes counties to establish retirement systems pursuant to its provisions for the purpose of providing pension, disability, and other benefits to county and district employees. CERL defines compensation earnable for purposes of its provisions, with particular application to the calculation of final compensation and the determination of pension amounts and other benefits. Existing law, the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013, prescribes various limitations on public employees, employers, and retirement systems concerning, among other things, the types of remuneration that may be included in compensation that is applied to pensions.
This bill would prescribe, for CERL, a definition of compensation earnable that would include any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if specified requirements are met. bill, which would apply only in Ventura County, would provide that compensation and compensation earnable include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan, as specified, if certain requirements are met. Among these conditions, the bill would require that the retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, that the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance, and that an employer and an employee continues to pay those contributions as employee earns this allowance. The bill would apply these provisions to eligible members who have retired prior to the effective date of the measure and would state that these provisions are declarative of existing law.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Ventura.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:SECTION 1. Section 31461.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met: (A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date. (D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance. (2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents. (c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481. (e) This section is declarative of existing law.SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances confronting county employees who are members of the retirement system in the County of Ventura.SECTION 1.Section 31461 of the Government Code is amended to read:31461.(a)Compensation earnable by a member means the average compensation, as determined by the board, for the period under consideration upon the basis of the average number of days ordinarily worked by persons in the same grade or class of positions during the period, and at the same rate of pay. The computation for any absence shall be based on the compensation of the position held by the member at the beginning of the absence. Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, that has been deferred shall be deemed compensation earnable when earned, rather than when paid.(b)Except as provided in subdivision (c), compensation earnable does not include, in any case, the following:(1)Any compensation determined by the board to have been paid to enhance a members retirement benefit under that system. That compensation may include:(A)Compensation that had previously been provided in kind to the member by the employer or paid directly by the employer to a third party other than the retirement system for the benefit of the member, and which was converted to and received by the member in the form of a cash payment in the final average salary period.(B)Any one-time or ad hoc payment made to a member, but not to all similarly situated members in the members grade or class.(C)Any payment that is made solely due to the termination of the members employment, but is received by the member while employed, except those payments that do not exceed what is earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period regardless of when reported or paid.(2)Payments for unused vacation, annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off, however denominated, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise, in an amount that exceeds that which may be earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period, regardless of when reported or paid.(3)Payments for additional services rendered outside of normal working hours, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise.(4)Payments made at the termination of employment, except those payments that do not exceed what is earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period, regardless of when reported or paid.(c)(1)Notwithstanding subdivision (b) and Section 31460, compensation earnable means any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if all of the following requirements are met:(A)The remuneration is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B)The remuneration is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b).(C)The remuneration is paid on or after January 1, 2013, the remuneration is included in compensation earnable, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the remuneration.(D)On the date that the act adding this subdivision becomes operative, the board of retirement has not completed a formal action to reverse a prior determination that a form of remuneration, to which this subdivision would otherwise apply, is compensation earnable. (2)This subdivision is declarative of existing law.(d)The terms of subdivision (b) are intended to be consistent with and not in conflict with the holdings in Salus v. San Diego County Employees Retirement Association (2004) 117 Cal.App.4th 734 and In re Retirement Cases (2003) 110 Cal.App.4th 426.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
## The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 31461.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met: (A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date. (D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance. (2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents. (c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481. (e) This section is declarative of existing law.
SECTION 1. Section 31461.7 is added to the Government Code, to read:
### SECTION 1.
31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met: (A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date. (D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance. (2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents. (c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481. (e) This section is declarative of existing law.
31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met: (A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date. (D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance. (2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents. (c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481. (e) This section is declarative of existing law.
31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met: (A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions. (B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date. (D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance. (2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents. (c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481. (e) This section is declarative of existing law.
31461.7. (a) This section applies only to a county of the thirteenth class, as defined by Section 28020, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971, and Section 28034, as amended by Chapter 1204 of the Statutes of 1971.
(b) (1) Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, and compensation earnable, as defined in Section 31461, include flexible benefits plan allowances paid by a county or a district on behalf of its employees as part of a cafeteria plan offered pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code if all of the following requirements are met:
(A) The flexible benefit plan allowance is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions.
(B) The flexible benefit plan allowance is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 31461.
(C) The retirement system included the flexible benefit plan allowance as part of compensation earnable as of July 30, 2020, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the flexible benefit plan allowance as of that date.
(D) The employer and employee pay the required contributions to the retirement system as the employee continues to earn the flexible benefit plan allowance.
(2) For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance is the same for all employees, regardless of the number of dependents, the entire amount shall be included in compensation earnable. For employee groups in which the monetary amount of the flexible benefits plan allowance varies among employees depending on the number of dependents, the amount included in compensation earnable shall be the amount provided to an employee with no dependents.
(c) This section shall only apply to employees who are not new members, as defined in Section 7522.04.
(d) Paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall apply to any eligible member who has retired prior to the effective date of this section, as permitted by subdivision (a) of Section 31481.
(e) This section is declarative of existing law.
SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances confronting county employees who are members of the retirement system in the County of Ventura.
SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances confronting county employees who are members of the retirement system in the County of Ventura.
SEC. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances confronting county employees who are members of the retirement system in the County of Ventura.
### SEC. 2.
(a)Compensation earnable by a member means the average compensation, as determined by the board, for the period under consideration upon the basis of the average number of days ordinarily worked by persons in the same grade or class of positions during the period, and at the same rate of pay. The computation for any absence shall be based on the compensation of the position held by the member at the beginning of the absence. Compensation, as defined in Section 31460, that has been deferred shall be deemed compensation earnable when earned, rather than when paid.
(b)Except as provided in subdivision (c), compensation earnable does not include, in any case, the following:
(1)Any compensation determined by the board to have been paid to enhance a members retirement benefit under that system. That compensation may include:
(A)Compensation that had previously been provided in kind to the member by the employer or paid directly by the employer to a third party other than the retirement system for the benefit of the member, and which was converted to and received by the member in the form of a cash payment in the final average salary period.
(B)Any one-time or ad hoc payment made to a member, but not to all similarly situated members in the members grade or class.
(C)Any payment that is made solely due to the termination of the members employment, but is received by the member while employed, except those payments that do not exceed what is earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period regardless of when reported or paid.
(2)Payments for unused vacation, annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off, however denominated, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise, in an amount that exceeds that which may be earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period, regardless of when reported or paid.
(3)Payments for additional services rendered outside of normal working hours, whether paid in a lump sum or otherwise.
(4)Payments made at the termination of employment, except those payments that do not exceed what is earned and payable in each 12-month period during the final average salary period, regardless of when reported or paid.
(c)(1)Notwithstanding subdivision (b) and Section 31460, compensation earnable means any form of remuneration, whether paid in cash or as in-kind benefits, if all of the following requirements are met:
(A)The remuneration is made available to any person in the same grade or class of positions. For purposes of this subdivision, grade or class of positions means a number of employees considered together because they share similarities in job duties, work location, collective bargaining unit, or other logical, work-related grouping. A single employee shall not be considered a grade or class of positions.
(B)The remuneration is not expressly excluded from compensation earnable pursuant to paragraphs (2) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (b).
(C)The remuneration is paid on or after January 1, 2013, the remuneration is included in compensation earnable, and the employer and employee paid contributions to the retirement system based on the remuneration.
(D)On the date that the act adding this subdivision becomes operative, the board of retirement has not completed a formal action to reverse a prior determination that a form of remuneration, to which this subdivision would otherwise apply, is compensation earnable.
(2)This subdivision is declarative of existing law.
(d)The terms of subdivision (b) are intended to be consistent with and not in conflict with the holdings in Salus v. San Diego County Employees Retirement Association (2004) 117 Cal.App.4th 734 and In re Retirement Cases (2003) 110 Cal.App.4th 426.